The mysterious-looking trees, densely populating the area, were awe-inspiring.

In places untouched by human hands, nature was growing in its true form.

Approaching the closest tree, Vercheria touched the rough surface with her palm.

Just by doing that, she could feel an overflowing vitality.

“It feels just like him.”

The warmth, as if touching Laclan, could be felt everywhere.

She longed to see him even more.
“Laclan.”

Vercheria began to move, calling his name.

However, there was no trace of Laclan anywhere.

Then, she suddenly realized that even Muhawas gone.

Since Muhawas larger than any tree here, his presence should naturally be visible from anywhere, but no matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t see a glimpse of him.

“Muhaw!”

Vercheria rushed towards the hill where Muhaw used to be with an impatient heart.

And there, she could only find traces of the condor that had soared up the hill.

Looking up at the dark sky, she finally understood.

Laclan brought her here to prevent her from leaving, even by turning into a deity.

“No.”

“Do you want to go back to the way it was before? To when you were a god.”

“Maybe.”

With a desperate expression, Vercheria looked up.

“Laclan.”

It felt like her heart was pounding on the ground.

In front of the portal heading north.

Late afternoon. Although the weather was hazy due to the drizzle that had been falling all day, the area in front of the portal was shining brighter than ever.

This was because Gerard had pulled all the manas in the palace to the portal under his command.

Gerard looked at his guards who were preparing for battle with a content face.

He didn’t like war, but this time, he couldn’t hide the excitement.

“The Absolute Deity.”

Gerard murmured to himself as he nodded his head.

If you were to pick the luckiest human in the world, it would probably be Gerard himself.

When his father was lying sick, he had briefly thought about becoming the emperor.

He knew it was a completely hopeless imagination.

There was already the eldest prince who had been designated as the next emperor, and even if he had any problems, the second prince, skilled in various martial arts, was there to support him.

But then, Rionne suddenly appeared.

While others had nothing to do with him, Rionne approached Gerard, who was just idling around, and whispered that he would make him the emperor.

As someone who had been living without any particular enthusiasm, Gerard had no reason to refuse such a proposal.

Moreover, her face was quite his type.

And so, after becoming the emperor without much effort, he lived solely for his own desires.

He easily obtained what he wanted by seducing the imperial prince who was at peace and, without hesitation, embraced any woman he wanted.

“Huh. An emperor who possesses two goddesses.”

At that moment when Gerard’s shoulders shrugged.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Dylan was approaching him, calling him from over there.

In his beast-like grip, a blonde Gruby was hanging, twisting her limbs as she dangled.

“Let go of this!”
Despite Gruby’s rebellion, Dylan brought him roughly to Gerard’s presence, seemingly ignorant of Gruby’s resistance.

Gruby, feeling unfairly brought here, shouted with determination.

“Didn’t you hear what Lady Vercheria said? Have you forgotten that you no longer have the authority to do this to me in the palace?”

Gerard laughed heartily as if finding such Gruby cute.

“I haven’t forgotten. But, you know, all that stuff has become useless.”

“What?”

The Emperor’s eyebrows danced as he wickedly grinned.

“We’re going to war.”

For a moment, Gruby, who didn’t understand the meaning of those words, widened his eyes.

“…Against the North?”

Instead of answering, Gerard looked at Gruby and grinned, making cold sweat run down Gruby’s spine.

“To open the portal, you need to make a sacrifice.”

Gruby recalled the people he had met at the Northern Castle.

Also, the knights who had come with Laclan and had been together here.

A war between them and the imperial forces.

How many of them would survive in that situation?

“…What if I refuse to open the portal?”

“It’s okay.”

Such a casual response came back to one question while looking at Gerard’s expression.

“Okay, you say?”

“Yeah.”

Gerard looked behind him, as if telling Gruby not to worry, at the Northern knights who were being dragged here in an unarmed state.

This morning.

The thought that a war would break out today had not crossed their minds at all.

They were brought here, dragged by the Imperial Guards, while washing their faces, eating, or sleeping.

“Well, I feel like I can put you in the portal even if I have to replace you right now.”

“….!”

“Well, if you don’t do it, I’ll kill the Northern knights one by one. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll hang Vercheria at the top of the portal until she dies….”

“I understand! I’ll do it… I’ll do it, okay?”

As Gruby, who had been holding his breath all along, breathed out, shouting defiantly at the moment.

“Ugh!”

“Watch out!”

As if perfectly timed, a huge gust of wind poured down from the sky.

“Oh, darn it!”

Gerard, for a moment, thought that Vercheria was playing with the weather again and scowled deeply.

However, when he looked up from where he raised his head, a giant condor he had seen before was covering the sky with an entirely black color, flapping its wings.

“Laclan!”

“For the Duke!”

And above that, a man who made Gerard annoyed just by looking at him was confidently looking down at Gerard.